BUTLER. 



i r>r> 



conspicuous, by his intense application to his pro- 

 fessional studies, and particularly to the department 

 of metaphysics. Of this early distinction, a memo- 

 rable proof will always remain. Dr Clarice's ce- 

 lebrated demonstration of the being and attributes of 

 God, was at this time in the hands of the learned, 

 and of course commanded the deep attention of the 

 kindred mind of young Butler. 1 hough scarcely '20 

 years of age, and still immersed in the multifarious 

 routine of academical pursuits, he contrived to make 

 himself master of that most abstruse demonstration ; 

 studying, however, not so much the book as the sub- 

 ject, rigidly examining the validity and consistency 

 of the arguments, and even rejecting some as either 

 obscure or inconclusive. These juvenile doubts he 

 respectfully transmitted to Dr Clarke in an anony- 

 mous letter, dated the 4th November 1713. His 

 candour, sagacity, and depth of thought, did not 

 fail to excite the particular notice of the Doctor, 

 who, no doubt, conceived the letter to be the pro- 

 duction of some experienced philosopher. Encoura- 

 ged by this attention, he addressed the Doctor seve- 

 ral times upon the same subject, and was likewise 

 honoured with his great antagonist's replies: and the 

 whole correspondence being soon after annexed to the 

 admirable treatise above mentioned, it has been re- 

 tained in all the subsequent editions. The only per- 

 son in Butler's secret, on this occasion, was his friend 

 and fellow pupil Mr Seeker, who conducted this phi- 

 losophical affair with all due mystery, by carrying 

 the letters in person to the post office at Gloucester, 

 and bringing back Dr Clarke's answers. 



It is natural to suppose, that the acquisition of 

 such a promising mind would soon become an object 

 of desire with the leaders of any church ; and the 

 particular friendship of Dr Clarke, with which, on 

 the disclosure of his name, Butler was immediately 

 honoured, could not fail to inspire his youthful mind 

 with the desire of signalising his talents in a more ex- 

 tensive, and therefore a more useful field, than that 

 afforded by a dissenting communion. Accordingly 

 we find that about this time the subject of non-con- 

 formity engaged his particular attention ; and the re- 

 sult of his deliberation was a determined resolution 

 to attach himself to the church of England. Against 

 this measure his father protested, with a warmth na- 

 tural to a man concerned for the principles of his son, 

 and interested in the honour of his party ; and to 

 strengthen his remonstrances, called in a meeting of 

 the most eminent Presbyterian divines. All their 

 united endeavours to dissuade him from his purpose 

 were in vain : his resolution was fixed ; and he was 

 soon afterwards suffered to remove to Oxford, where 

 he was admitted a commoner of Oriel college, on the 

 17th of March 1714. 



It does not appear at what precise time Butler 

 took orders, nor by what bishop he was ordained. 

 One thing seems highly probable, that some devia- 

 tion from the established rules was tacitly permitted 

 in his case, in consideration of his previous acquire- 

 ments ; for it is reported that very soon after his ad- 

 mission at Oxford, he entered into the church, and 

 occasionally assisted Mr Edward Talbot in the di- 

 vine service, at his living of Hendred near Wan- 

 tage. 



His acquaintance with this gentleman, who was Butler, 

 the second son of Dr William Talbot, successively 

 bishop of Oxford, Salisbury and Durham, commen- ' ~>~ 

 ced at the university : it soon ripened into intimate 

 ''.bhip, and, together with the active co-operation 

 <<t Dr Clarke, laid the foundation of all Butler'* sub- 

 sequent preferment. At the recommendation of Mr 

 Talbot and Dr Clarke, he was appointed by Sir Jo- 

 seph Jekyll, at the age of 26, and four years after 

 his admission at Oxford, to the very honourable and 

 conspicuous situation of preacher at the Rolls chapel. 

 Here he continued three years before he took any 

 degree at the university ; for he went out bachelor 

 of law on the 10th June 1721, this being the earliest 

 period at which that honour could suitably be con- 

 ferred on him. 



Mr Butler held the situation of preacher at the 

 Rolls till 1726 ; in the beginning of which year he 

 gave to the world, .n one volume octavo, Fifteen Ser- 

 mons preached at that chapel ; a work which deser- 

 vedly raised him to the highest consideration as an 

 acute and solid reasoner. Though these discourses 

 are, for the most part, rather scientific disquisitions 

 on morals, than what is generally understood by ser- 

 mons, and, therefore, exclusively adapted to the clo- 

 set : their value, to men of reflection, is not the lesa 

 on that account. They proceed on a systematic 

 theory of morals, partly borrowed from the ancient 

 philosophers, and partly invented by himself. Thil 

 theory consists neither in the welfare of society, nor 

 the fitness of things, nor the will of God, as general- 

 ly understood ; but according to the expression of 

 the ancient schools, in following nature ; that is, in 

 acting in conformity to those views with which nature 

 has furnished us with particular powers and faculties. 

 Butler has employed, and with great success, a con- 

 stant appeal to facts, and the inductive process of 

 reasoning, to the subjects of morals and religion ; and 

 in both, has availed himself of the analogy of nature. 

 Of the abstruseness of these discourses, the author 

 himself was so sensible as to offer an apology, in <: 

 preface to the second edition, revised and improved 

 in 1729; presenting at the same time an abridged 

 statement of the principles laid down in the sermons. 

 It is much to be lamented, that Butler, like some 

 other great men of powerful intellect, should seem to 

 have undervalued the graces of composition. In the 

 style of these sermons, and indeed of all the writings 

 of this celebrated divine, while we admire his pro- 

 found research, and original train of reasoning; a 

 certain embarrassment of language impedes our pro- 

 gress, and to the natural abstruseness of the discus- 

 sion, adds the fatiguing exercise of frequently retra- 

 cing our steps to ascertain the scope and direction of 

 the argument. This defect was not unobserved by 

 his friend Seeker, who is said to have kindly done all 

 in his power to give more perspicuity and ease to all 

 the compositions of Butler. But notwithstanding all 

 these blemishes, which are perhaps somewhat aggra- 

 vated at present by the hana of time, the sermons are 

 master pieces in their kind, and must for ever continue 

 to command the attention of the divine and the philo- 

 sopher. 



Whilst Butler was thus occupied at the Rolls, his 

 friends were not inattentive to his preferment ; for 



